The biggest financial literacy podcast, Earn Your Leisure, returned to the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for their 2nd annual Invest Fest. This year’s festival brought out more than 12,000 people for the weekend-long assortment of activities & expert-led discussions focused on investing, entrepreneurship, real estate, and financial literacy. Speakers included billionaire Dan T. Cathy (chairman of Chick-fil-A), billionaire real estate entrepreneur Donahue Peebles, T.I., Dame Dash, Terrence J, DJ Envy, Angela Yee and many more.
Steve Harvey and Harvey Ventures were strategic partners and co-producers for this year’s Invest Fest and programming. “I am proud to partner with Earn Your Leisure, which was founded by two young and dynamic Black entrepreneurs, to take this year‘s Invest Fest to the next level,” said Steve Harvey. “There is an urgent need for more expansive financial literacy to promote saving, investing, and generational wealth creation for traditionally underserved communities. Rashad and Troy have responded with an incredibly innovative and visionary platform to make this information open and accessible to all.”
The highlight of the festival came when billionaire writer/director Tyler Perry took to the stage alongside Earn Your Leisure hosts Troy Millings, Rashad Bilal to share words of wisdom and influential takeaways he learned throughout his career. Immediately following Tyler Perry’s fireside chat, Steve Harvey joined the guys on stage to congratulate them and to salute Mr. Perry.
“We created Earn Your Leisure and now Invest Fest to marry culture and commerce. We know that information and resources about financial literacy, investing, entrepreneurship and building generational wealth have traditionally been inaccessible for our culture, said Rashad Bilal, Troy Millings, Founders, Earn Your Leisure. Sponsored by Chase, Vibranium, BET & META, Invest Fest included a vendor marketplace with over 250 small businesses as well as live podcast stages with interviews from top entrepreneurs and celebrities.
The festival began with a VIP kick off-party featuring fireside chats with Terrence J, Kenny Burns and others, followed by a high-energy performance from T-Pain and a surprise performance by multi-platinum selling singer/songwriter Queen Naija.
One of the most anticipated moments of the festival was the all-star billionaire fireside chat with Chick-fil-A chairman Dan T. Cathy, R. Donahue Peebles, moderated by Matthew Garland. Stand-out speakers included Ian Dunlap,19 Keys, Pinky Cole (founder/owner of Slutty Vegan), ET The Hip Hop Preacher and Dame Dash, who dropped gems on ownership and becoming your own boss. The festival came to a close with an explosive, awe-inspiring performance from Hip Hop heavyweight Rick Ross.
